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June 2017

13 June 2017

"... simple designs to sew in no time." I LOVE those kinds of projects!! So, I've got a new book to talk about this week and it's called "Weekend Quilting" by Jemima Flendt.

Jemima ~ I'm happy to say ~ is a friend of mine. And she's just as lovely and sweet as she looks, but with a bonus: She's fun!! (She's Australian so what do ya expect?) :) We've been able to hang out a few times at quilty events, and what has impressed me about Jemima is that she has a truly generous spirit ~ she loves to teach others about sewing and quilting. So writing a book was a natural next step for her.

In her debut book, she teaches quilt making in ten chapters that introduce all the fundamental elements: the 9-patch, half-square triangle, flying geese, the pinwheel, equilateral triangles, english paper piecing, appliqué, and foundation paper piecing. It's a fantastic beginner book and especially handy for those quilters looking to widen their repertoire and try new techniques (that pretty much covers everyone, right?) See that "Duck, Duck, Goose" mini quilt above? I absolutely love this design and want to make one with my Charleston fabrics. (insert the heart-eyes emoji here.)

The "Sparkles" mini quilt (a foundation paper pieced pattern) is actually one that I made in Playground fabrics for my Quilt Market booth last year...

With a shortage of time as I prepared for Market that season, I'd made my mini a bit smaller and turned it into a cushion. And I love how it turned out. But for my turn on this Weekend Quilting Book Showcase, I wanted to sew something new.

So, I cut into my yardage of Little Town fabrics :) I'm in love with the modern simplicity of Jemima's "Kite Tails" mini quilt.

But I kinda botched my project. (I know, this is strike two.) I thought it would be "cool" to blend in snippets and one big stripe of my starry critters. I finished my quilt at 2 am and headed to bed. BUT, when I woke up the next morning and looked at it in broad daylight, I could see that those critters don't blend in to the white background like my (apparently) awful studio lighting lead me to believe. No! They stand out like a sore thumb!!! Omigosh.

The brilliance of Jemima's simple design is ruined by that one stripe, but I invite you to place a finger over that stripe and enjoy the beauty of my quilt that way. Haha. Seriously! Choose a pic and cover up those critters with a finger and it'll look awesome, promise!

I'm just sitting here shaking my head. It's a do-over. Luckily I own Jemima's book and I can try it again any time I want. But with absolutely no added stripes! :)

To sew your own version of this fresh design, find Weekend Quilting at shops and online now. All the best to you and your beautiful book, dear Jemima!

To see all the inspiring stops along the Weekend Quilting Book Showcase, click the links below:

04 June 2017

I'm here to share a book with you that's new. It's full of beautiful photographs and simple sewing projects that are fun to sew. It's a book I'm so happy to add to my library, as it's written by someone who's been inspiring me for many years. I'm sure you're a fan already, but if not, I'm happy to introduce Ayda of Cafenohut.

At her flickr, her instagram, and her blog, you'll see in abundance why I love Ayda's clean and happy and oh-so-charming style. I was so excited for her when she mentioned she was writing a book with Tuva Publishing. Her book, "Made for Baby", is one we all need to have close by ~ because let's face it, even if you're not or never having a baby soon, someone out there that you know is. And sewing for baby is so much fun! So welcome, to my stop on the Made for Baby blog tour...

Really, all the projects are cute. I made one of these baby collars for my display of Little Town fabrics at Quilt Market last month... I didn't get a good pic of it yet, but when the fabric LookBook comes out I'll be able to share. So, I flipped through the pages of Made for Baby and randomly chose this project...

Ok. So, it wasn't random at all. I chose it, because I thought it was adorable. Ayda's choice of color palette, her use of clam shells, and the dimensions of her design are spot on. So I made this:

I used a mixture of Paperie, Playground, Charleston, and Les Petits fabrics (all my own!), which I love. But because I was pressed for time, I couldn't do the clamshells. And then the dimensions had to be changed ever so slightly. And when I was finished I realized, that I love the fabric house just precisely as she designed it. Maybe this fall, when I have more time (ha!), I'll be able to make one with the hand sewn clamshells in my Little Town fabrics and I will think it's as charming as hers. :)

Don't get me wrong. I like mine.

I'm madly in love with the color palette. But as a fellow designer, I appreciate the finer details involved in making a pattern just so. Hats off to you, Ayda!

Thank you for sharing your book with all of us! And thank you all for stopping by my turn on the blog hop...

To see a bazillion beautiful makes and meet their makers click on the links below to follow the entire Made for Baby blog tour. Also, make sure to visit Ayda's blog for a chance to win a copy of her book. I promise you'll love it!